Japan Releases Fukushima Plant Water into Pacific, Prompting China Seafood Import Ban

By IndraStra Global News Team

Image Attribute: The file photo of the IAEA International Remediation Expert Mission examining Reactor Unit 3 during the team’s visit on 11 October 2011 to TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Source: Giovanni Verlini / IAEA

On Thursday (August 24, 2023), Japan began discharging treated radioactive water from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean, prompting China to prohibit importing seafood from Japan immediately.
According to Chinese customs authorities, China expressed severe concern about the possibility of radioactive contamination in Japan's food and agricultural products exports to China. South Korea's Prime Minister, Han Duck-soo, declared that the prohibitions on importing Fukushima's fisheries and food products would continue until public anxieties were alleviated.
Even though the Japanese government approved the water release two years ago and recently obtained the green light from the UN nuclear oversight agency, this action is being taken. Releasing the water is a crucial part of the intricate decommissioning process for the Fukushima Daiichi plant, which was severely damaged by a tsunami.
Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO), the facility's operator, stated that water discharge commenced without identifying any irregularities in the seawater pump or nearby facilities.
China, however, maintains a strong opposition to the plan, arguing that Japan has not sufficiently demonstrated the legitimacy of the water discharge. China's foreign ministry accuses Japan of acting out of self-interest and calls for protecting local and global populations.
On the other hand, Japan has defended the safety of the water release, citing the findings of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which deemed its impact on people and the environment as "negligible." Tokyo criticized China for spreading "unsubstantiated scientific claims."
The Fukushima Daiichi plant suffered catastrophic damage in March 2011 following a massive 9.0 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami, resulting in the meltdown of three of its reactors. Japanese fishing groups, already struggling with concerns about radiation, strongly oppose the release. China's indefinite ban on seafood imports from Japan further amplifies worries about export losses.
In 2022, Japan shipped around $600 million worth of seafood products to China, establishing it as the largest market for Japanese seafood exports. Hong Kong held the second spot. China and Hong Kong represented 42 percent of Japan's total seafood exports in 2022.
The water discharge will be carried out in phases and will be subject to additional inspections. Initially, 7,800 cubic meters of water, equivalent to approximately three Olympic-sized swimming pools, will be released over a period of approximately 17 days.
As per Tepco's test results, the water contains up to 63 tritium becquerels per liter, well below the World Health Organization's drinking water limit of 10,000 becquerels per liter. Tritium is a measure of radioactivity. The IAEA confirmed these findings, verifying that the tritium concentration was significantly below the established limit.
The environment minister confirmed that Japan intends to monitor the area surrounding the water discharge and will start sharing weekly findings. Tepco foresees that the process of releasing the wastewater, amounting to over 1.3 million metric tons, will extend over approximately 30 years.
Although there have been demonstrations by civic groups in Japan and South Korea, the South Korean government has not identified any scientific or technical issues with the release. Prior to the discharge, numerous protesters congregated in front of Tepco's headquarters in Tokyo, carrying placards that stated, "Do not release contaminated water into the sea!" One protester, Jun Iizuka, emphasized, "The Fukushima nuclear disaster is not over. This time, only around 1 percent of the water will be released."

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